Dwight D. Eisenhower: The Centennial

For some time, military historians have been exploring the
proposition that service in the Armed Forces of our Nation has
been instrumental in preparing a notable number of Americans for
positions of senior leadership in the government. Military service
played a vital role, for example, in the development of such leaders
as Andrew Jackson, Theodore Roosevelt, and Harry Truman.
In our own times, perhaps no man better exemplifies this
proposition than Dwight David Eisenhower, General of the Army
and the thirty-fourth President of the United States. Today, the
name Eisenhower is synonymous with dynamic leadership in a
complex international environment. But in 1941, this remarkable
soldier was nearing the end of an undistinguished military career
that had afforded him few opportunities to demonstrate his leadership.
Yet, within three years and under the intense pressure of a
global war, he rose to become Supreme Commander of the Allied
Forces in Europe. The leadership skills that won the great land
campaigns of the twentieth century did not come about overnight.
They were the product of years of development—development
that took place in the small peacetime Army of the 1920s and 30s.
As we shape the force for the future, that example should serve as
a source of inspiration for professionals throughout our ranks.
With this publication, the Army joins in the Nation's remembrance
of the 100th anniversary of Dwight Eisenhower's birth. At
the same time, this commemoration provides us with a special
opportunity to reflect on how military service has prepared so
many Americans to contribute so much to the Nation and to the
world.
This booklet, prepared by the U.S. Army Center of Military
History, will add to your understanding of a great American and
help you appreciate the profound influence that a career of
military service can have on the future of the Nation.